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GOODWILL AMBASSADOR FOR THE ACCRA PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL

ADDRESS DELIVERED BY DR. PINAMAN APPAU (HD-APH) ON THE OCCASION OF THE UNVEILING CEREMONY OF THE FIRST GOODWILL AMBASSADOR FOR THE ACCRA PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL ON 29TH MARCH, 2017

Our distinguished Representative from Mental Health Authority, Members of the Hospital’s Management Committee, Our cherished hardworking staff, Other Representatives from the Mental Health Authority, Friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen, Good morning.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome each and every one of you, who have made time to join us this morning for a brief unveiling ceremony of the Goodwill Ambassador for the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

You would agree with me that Accra Psychiatric hospital remains the heartbeat of mental health care and as my CEO puts it, the barometer of Mental Health in Ghana. The Accra Psychiatric Hospital also happens to be the biggest and oldest psychiatric facility in Ghana hence its role as the mother of all psychiatric facility in the country. Unfortunately, the facility continues to grapple with financial, material and other resource allocations that are needed for its smooth operation. Infrastructure deterioration and deficit has also been one of our major challenges. The hospital which was built in 1904 has not seen any major renovations and therefore our problems with ventilation, sewage lines, bathroom facilities etc. In spite of these and other challenges, management and the hardworking staff remain committed in giving their best in service. It is in this light that the hospital has since last year been appealing for funds to help with projects that would generate some revenue for the facility to take care of some of our challenges.

We cannot go on without mentioning the recurrent spate of suicide that has beleaguered our country. Our neglect of mental health and mental health issues makes it difficult for us to get data on mental health including that of suicide. This same neglect has also led to inadequate mental health personnel, lack of funding and non-passage of the legislative instrument to back mental health act 842 passed in 2012.

We however know that the risk of suicide is increased about 15 folds in mental disorder and 90% of those who die from suicide have diagnosable Mental Disorder, principally severe Depression.

It will interest you to note that Nine Thousand, five hundred and twenty-three (9,523) cases of mood disorders were recorded in 2016 at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital alone, not to mention the figures from the other psychiatric hospitals, community mental health units, the general hospitals and those who do not report to any of the facilities.

This calls for a concerted effort in improving the quality and access to mental healthcare delivery in the country, and the Accra Psychiatric hospital for that matter. It is in this light that I consider it heart-warming, the commitment from a treasured personality with well-known presence taking up the mantle of Goodwill Ambassador for the hospital.

Our task is huge and our challenges are enormous but with personalities like our ambassador, who in few minutes will be unveiled to the entire world, we believe the state of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital would see a face lift with the support of all especially you the media.

Permit me, ladies and gentleman, to inform you of our maiden Fundraising Dinner in aid of Refurbishment and Purchasing of Laboratory Equipment (ie Haematology analyzer, Biochemistry analyzer and Drug analyzer) and Electro-Convulsive Therapy Machine which is of essence in the treatment of mood disorders. This has become necessary because all our equipment are obsolete and most of them have broken down. The estimated target for the project is Five Hundred Thousand Cedis (500,000.00) and it is scheduled for Friday, 5th May, 2017 at the Police Social and Fitness Centre behind the Police Headquarters.

Ladies and Gentlemen, friends from the media, I would like to appeal to you and corporate Ghana to support our Goodwill Ambassador to help us achieve if not exceed our target for our maiden event by according him, the maximum courtesies and assistance that he would require in making his work successful.

We look forward to working with him closely in our awareness creation programmes and to project positive image of Accra Psychiatric hospital. Further, we hope to collaborate with him to generate opportunities and build closer ties that will inure to the benefits of the hospital.

Together let us erase the stigma attached to Mental Health and Accra Psychiatric Hospital for that matter.

Together let us make issues of Mental Health a priority for the accelerated growth our nation desires.

Together Let us make Accra Psychiatric Hospital greater and better for quality mental health treatment.